In security sensitive devices, such as safes, code machines, money exchanging machines, and postage meters, there often is need for fasteners which offer resistance to tampering and unauthorized attack. Such type fasteners feature hardened materials and smooth surfaces to prevent the destruction and gripping by sharp tools.
Sometimes dummy rivets or other type fasteners are used to slow the attempt at tampering by a would-be thief.
The present invention combines the above objectives into a combination break-off and dummy screw. The purpose of this combination provides several unexpected results:
A. The dummy portion of the screw hides a valid fastener beneath it, thus not only providing a fastening function, but also providing a deceiving function as well. If this type of fastener is now mixed with pure dummies, or with pure dummies and other break-off fasteners, the job of the would-be thief is greatly compounded, and becomes full of uncertainty.
B. The dummy portion of the screw, actually shields the internal fastener from attack. A would-be attacker would have to remove two screw parts just to unfasten one fastener. Thus, a thief would have to expend twice the ordinary work to remove just one of the inventive screws.